Let's Talk About Fresh, Baby.

Fresh is our grooming salon's house shampoo, our signature scent, if you will, and for very good reason.  This orange colored shampoo with it's vague  logo of a bugle shooting out streamers and daisies in an orange explosion (wait... what?) is aptly named 'Fresh Pet'. The fragrance is very... well... fresh! It's another one of those hard to describe smells. Let me see if I can pin it down a little for you.  The first time I smelled it I was reminded of fresh produce, like that smell when you walk into the produce section and everything is in season, and it just smells indescribably good. It is not a floral, sweet, musky, earthy, or salony scent.  And let me tell you, it's a good thing it smells so wonderfully, because that fragrance is here to stay! Your dogs will smell bugle-shooting fresh for a couple weeks.  Out of hundreds of clients, I have encountered exactly 2 that did not enjoy the fragrance, and those two preferred we use our scent-free oatmeal shampoo because they were keenly sensitive to smells.  A nice point of this fragrance is that it is gender neutral, just as appropriate for your hunting dogs as  your purse dogs.

Top Performance's Fresh Pet shampoo has a fantastic cleaning power to match!  I've used it on more than one dog who has applied it's own Poo-fume, much to it's owner's dismay. Dogs come out of our shop shiny, soft, and spotless... other then their own natural spots, we let them keep those.

Although I would not recommend Fresh Pet shampoo  for pets with severely reactive skin, neither is it exceptionally harsh. A dog who has been fine with other shampoos will most likely be fine with this one as well. It will not dry out the skin and coat, as some strong cleaning shampoos would.

Some of the listed ingredients are Tea Lauryl Sulfate, Glycerin, and Citric Acid.

Now onto price. Hold onto your tails , kids, or you're going to knock a lot of stuff over with the wagging! The Top Performance Fresh Pet shampoo is a steal at $5.99 for a 17oz , $20.99 for a gallon,  or $79.99 for 5 gallons . It Dilutes 7:1 suggested, but I personal dilute 15:1 and still get astounding results!  You can purchase an 8oz bottle of the matching spray cologne for $5.99 to extend the fragrance another couple weeks, or to use between baths.  We order ours through Pet Edge, so remember to buy all your stuff at once and shave on shipping! It looks like you can find it on other online locations for around $10 for the 17oz bottle as well.

The Bottom Line

Fresh Pet Shampoo from Top Performance is the complete package for your everyday dogs. Great lasting smell, great cleaning power, leaves a nice sheen on the coat, and a fantastic price point. Buy it from PetEdge along with a bigger order so that you don't get hit too hard on shipping.

oO Bubblecollie Oo

mmmmm... Strawberry Yogurt....

In my truly contrary fashion, I continue to break my 'no fruity shampoo' rule by actively seeking out and purchasing fruity shampoo. Something about the duality of man?  The I <3 Pet Head Feeling Flaky shampoo is strawberry yogurt scented and is advertised as being meant for Dry and Sensitive Skin.  I first purchased it when I was scheduled to groom a Golden Retriever with very very sensitive skin. Most shampoos made her itch something terrible, to the point of getting hot spots. Her name was Amber.   To cut to the point, I groomed Amber and everything went great! Her owner told me that she was better after that groom then she had been after any of her previous baths. The only problem was that she kept chewing her paws. Although I had rinsed every part of her thoroughly, apparently just stepping in the rinsed semi-soapy water that slicked the bottom of the tub was enough to irritate her super sensitive skin. But , despite my novice mistake , it went pretty well.

Remembering my experience , I have tried the Strawberry Yogurt Feeling Flaky shampoo again, this time on my poodle Spike. He does not have sensitive skin, or dry skin for that matter.  It cleaned well, smelled great in the tub, rinsed ok, and left no negative impact on his fur. The fragrance does not stay, which is unfortunate because it smells just SO good. This seems to be a trend for me, doesn't it?  Shampoos that will not leave a lasting scent... to be fair though, being a sensitive skin shampoo, you really don't expect a lasting fragrance. Perfumes can irritate after all.

I got my 16oz bottles of Pet Head, Feeling Flaky at TJmaxx for $6.99 . You can find it online for between $6 - $10 +S&H. They do not offer a groomer's gallon though, unfortunately. I think if they did I might have urged my grooming shop manager to try it out for our shop's sensitive skin clientele.  It really does clean very well for a sensitive skin shampoo, and it is truly gentle and none irritating for our more itchy friends. It would pair well with fruity or sweet colognes such as  earthbath - Puppy Spritz .

Some of the listed ingredients are Yucca , Chamomile, and Silk Proteins

The Bottom Line

This is a good, affordable solution if you have a pet who seems to be sensitive to EVERYTHING . Give it a shot!  It's not going to leave your dog smelling like a strawberry, but if your dog breaks out in hotspots every time it gets a bath well... maybe that doesn't matter so much. And if your dog DOES have a reaction to this one, it's on the inexpensive end at least. Just remember to rinse rinse rinse!

oO Bubblecollie Oo

Mighty Protein for Whimpy Hair

Quadruped is a shampoo company that has been around for what feels like forever, (founded in 1997 actually!). I remember as a grooming student seeing their ads in grooming magazines offering free samples and describing luxury shampoos and conditioners. For years as a professional groomer I kept seeing those ads. But if it weren't for their great customer service, I probably would've missed out on some of my favorite products for many more years.

Although Quadruped's labels and logo are a bit simple and understated, their customer service is anything but. Last year in September my colleagues and I went to Hershey, PA for Groom Expo to find the best, the worst, and the coolest deals to hit the grooming world. There is nothing better than going to a groom expo to find what you need , what you didn't know you needed, or to just have fun. Everyone is trying to sell you something, attempting to get you to try their product (or almost everyone, ahem, Nature's Specialties!) and the best part... FREE SAMPLES! Not only did Quadruped give us each two 16oz shampoos and/or conditioners, they also asked us about what breeds we owned so they could give us ANOTHER 16oz shampoo that would get the best results on our specific dogs.

For me they suggested their Protein Concentrated Shampoo. I was offered this because I own poodles and as they get older the vast majority of them start to get brittle or dry coats. Because the coat becomes limp and dead, it is very difficult to get that nice fluffy head. Several companies put out protein shampoos to help combat this issue, problem is they tend to weigh down the coat and be difficult to dry (and not offer free samples!). This is not the case with Quadruped.  The Quadruped Protein Concentrated shampoo is fast drying and leaves the coat light and fluffy. My very long haired poodle, Sable, takes three hours to dry on average.  Using Quadruped's Protein shampoo cuts that time in half.  Not to mention that I can see the results in her coat just as quickly! Her hair, although fluffy and bouncy, is thicker and seems healthier.

As a test I used the shampoo to wash a toy poodle named Keeno. Keeno had always suffered from thinning hair and bald spots, this would be the ultimate test for the protein shampoo. It was exactly what he needed! It really gave him that poodle hair hes' never had. But that wasn't enough for me, I wanted to see what long term effects it would have. I gave Keeno's owner the rest of my bottle and ordered another for myself.  They've been using the shampoo every time he gets groomed, and the last time I saw Keeno his coat would have been the envy of any show poodle! On top of it, his dry dandruffy skin was a thing of the past.  Now it is the only shampoo that is used on him.

I have tried the shampoo on various other small breeds, like Maltese and Bichons and have always been happy with the results.  The downside is the price, at $44 a gallon ($11.50 for 16oz), plus shipping. It's dilution is 1:8 , so you will use it up quickly. This is why I do not use it on dogs over 30lbs.  As professional groomers we need to consider the economy of the products we use, quantity can be just as important as quality. Sometimes the price is just too high to pass on to the customer.

The Bottom Line

Quadruped's Protein Shampoo cleans well, helps speed up your drying time, and has a lasting fragrance. Most of their ingredients are natural, so it would be gentle enough to try on dogs with allergies, but the smell of it might be overpowering for some of the human clients if they are sensitive to fragrance. The perfume is hard to describe, very clean, not floral or sweet, very salon dog. It will greatly improve the quality of your dog's hair, but the price point is steep. Probably not a great everyday dog grooming shampoo, buy it for your own dogs or to help out your 'special cases' if you groom professionally.

** Shampoodle **

Sometimes you smell like a nut, sometimes you don't.

Huge fan of Almond scented soaps over here. Huge fan of almond scent in general in fact! So when I saw that one of my favorite brands, DoubleK/ Groomer's Edge had a Desert Almond shampoo I was PUMPED to try it!  In fact, this was back in grooming school. I remember that at the time I didn't think it had a strong enough scent, especially compared to the DoubleK/Groomer's Edge Alpha White shampoo we had been using up until that point.  But it's always worth a second shot if you don't quite remember, right? Memory can be tricky like that.

I ordered my 16 oz bottle of Desert Almond for  $4.49 , along with the 16oz bottle of ReFURbish conditioner (the real treasure in my order!) from PetEdge. We at the grooming shop combine our orders when the big boss is restocking the shop, to save on shipping of course. Some of you are familiar with the 'gotcha!'  shipping policies and fees Petedge has when they don't feel like you've spent QUITE enough money. So like lampreys attaching themselves to a sperm whale, we piggyback on the larger order and think ourselves quite clever for it, wringing our hands and twisting our handlebar mustaches.

Get in the tub, Spike!  The Desert Almond shampoo cleans well, and smells heavenly in the bath. Alas, in the bath it stays.  Spike's coat was fresh and clean, bouncy as a baby bunny on a trampoline, but nutty it was not. In fact, the shampoo had no lasting fragrance at all. I didn't want to believe it,  I smelled 'phantom' fragrances when I shoved my fat face into his fluffy coat. Unforunately , upon requesting a second opinion from nearby friends, all I received was "Well, he doesn't smell bad."


If you are looking for an Almond smelling pooch, this is not the answer for you. But do not give up hope! If you can find a bottle of Breut Pet Spa Almond shampoo, that will do the trick. I've found 16oz bottles at TJMaxx and Marshalls for $6.99 and 24oz bottles at the same locations for $9.99.  A quick google search shows up nothing for it though, so you might have to snoop around your local shops to get your almond loving paws on a bottle.

And just a thought, if you have a Chocolate Lab, try using the Breut Almond shampoo, followed by Breut Coconut conditioner for that Almond Joy bathtub experience!

The Bottom Line.

The Desert Almond shampoo by Groomer's Edge will not leave your dog smelling like... well... anything really. That aside, it is enriched with vitamins A, D, E, panthenol, and aloe. It cleans thoroughly and gently. If you are ordering some big ticket items from Pet Edge the price is right to tack a bottle on there for $4.49 and follow up with your favorite smelling conditioner or cologne . If you are buying it retail though, at between $8 - $12, I think you can find a better deal in a different shampoo.

oO Bubblecollie Oo

Whatsa matter Pumpkin?

        

          On my never ending quest for seasonal scented shampoos, I found myself craving a Pumpkin Spice shampoo last fall. Sometimes you just need your dog to match your potpourri , airwicks, candles, and linen spray. Am I right?  In my search I quickly found a company local to my state, Mutt Nose Best. Super cute name! Mutt Nose Best has a shampoo called U. Pumpkin Patch Pup so with a begrudging leap of faith I purchased their 14 oz bottle for $15.99 + S&H.
             Half of the bottle was used to rinse the grooming tub in the morning and run through our hose to clear out the stagnant water.
            The U. Pumpkin Patch Pup shampoo has a wonderful pumpkin spice smell while you are washing your dog, but that is the end of it. The shampoo has no lasting fragrance to speak of. It cleaned moderately well, though I question how much of an impact it would have on an exceptionally dirty dog. I don't know, maybe you could just sprinkle some nutmeg on your shih tzu's head after the bath to feel like it was all worth while? Or hey, spend another $14 for the matching spray. Call me crazy, but I am of the opinion that a $16 shampoo should have its own lasting fragrance, even if it is faint.
             But, there is a silver lining to the U. Pumpkin Patch Pup shampoo from Mutt Nose Best. It is a Sulfate free shampoo, made with Organic ingredients including locally grown organic pumpkins, which could account for the high price point. It is a gentle shampoo with vitamins A,C,E &B that is supposed to moisturize dry skin. This might be a good choice for dry skin dogs?  I don't know, because when I offered to let the other three groomers in my shop try it on their dogs they all responded with a very polite, but definitive, 'No thank you.' . And so, the $16 shampoo was used to rinse stagnant water out of our hoses.

The Bottom Line. 

                 U. Pumpkin Patch Pup shampoo by Mutt Nose Best comes from a company with a great mission statement, but is extremely over priced for a shampoo that will not turn heads and does not leave anything close to a fragrance on your dog, let alone leaving your dog 'smelling like a pumpkin pie' like they state.
                If you want to support local organic,  buy it then donate it to a rescue group and do two good deeds at once.

oO Bubblecollie Oo

Tea Tree Time

This past winter a lot of dogs in my area came into our grooming shop with complaints of being super itchy. We did what we could with our soothing oatmeal shampoo, without knowing what was causing the itchyness, there isn't a lot we could do.   My border collie, Zabu, was falling victim to the itchy scratchies as well so I started doing research into some home remedies involving oatmeal baths.  Before I had tried my new salve on him, but of course after I had purchased all the ingredients, I stumbled upon a website about yeast in dogs.  At the time Zabu suffered from some pretty heinous 'frito-feet' . Not the almost charming smell that makes you crave corn chips, but the pungent sour smell you could catch from the other side of the room.  Combining the occurrence of this smell with the wet time of year and itchy red belly, it seemed highly likely that this was a yeast issue.  Good thing I didn't use any oatmeal shampoo or concoctions on him, as oatmeal will actually feed yeast and exacerbate the problem.
       So what to do then?  There are tons of good websites to help solve your yeast problems. I'll make my story shorter and to the point by saying simply that I altered his diet drastically to help him from the inside. But this blog is about shampoo! Tea tree  oil they said, find a good Tea tree oil shampoo. Down to Tjmaxx I went. If you are looking for a quality product at a low price, always check your Tjmaxx, Marshalls, Homegoods, Winners, and Burlington Coat Factory.  This is where I found every bottle of John Paul Pet - Tea Tree Shampoo that I've ever purchased, and for $6.99 !
       The John Paul Pet Tea Tree shampoo has a smell that is 'tea tree'. And tea tree is a smell that you either love or hate. I love it, to me it smells like cut grass. But to Shampoodle it smells like medicine. So maybe take a whiff of the bottle before buying it, or else have a good robust cologne on hand in case you are dissatisfied with the fragrance.
         Smell aside, the Tea Tree shampoo was exactly what we needed to fight the itchy yeast from the outside while the diet fought it from the inside. What had been chronic stop-in-the-middle-of-fetch-every-2-minutes itching was relieved for about 2 or 3 days after each bath. Much to Zabu's dismay, I followed the Tea Tree shampoo routine with stop-gaps of apple cider vinegar rinse dabbed on his underbelly.  The diet change is what cured my border collie's yeast problem, the John Paul Tea Tree is what relieved him and kept him from tearing his skin open while the diet was getting it's foot hold.
        And , on top of all this, I think it cleans great! Zabu's fur was left shiny , clean, and fresh.


       Some of the ingredients listed on the John Paul Pet - Tea Tree Shampoo are Australian Tea Tree Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Chamomilla Extract, and Aloe . If you are using this shampoo to help with yeast , remember that a thorough drying is necessary! Yeast thrives in the wet places on your dog!
       It is important to note that you should not use any tea tree oil products on cats, and if your dog and cat interact a lot with one another, maybe rethink using tea tree oil.

       The Bottom Line.

 Find this product locally for 6.99 if you can! If not, it looks like you can get it for around $9 + S&H online. The price point is good IMHO.  If you like Tea Tree smell, then you will love this fragrance! If you don't... well...  This is a great product for relieving itchiness, especially do to fungal or bacterial infections and it cleans well on top of it.  This is a product that I would buy in a groomers gallon if they offered it.

oO Bubblecollie Oo

Perfectly Peachy

        There is a new air freshener by the grooming tables at work! It is peach, and it is wonderful! This is what sent me on my quest to find a peachy scented shampoo.   As a rule I dislike fruity smells on dogs. And as a rule I always discard that rule, and try fruity smells on dogs.   Wouldn't you know it, Nature's Specialties ran an ad for their Peachy  Perfect shampoo in a grooming magazine I subscribe to! 
         First things first, my 16oz bottle cost $13.50 , plus a suspiciously high shipping cost of over $11 . But when you've got to have peach, you've got to have peach. So I crossed my fingers that it was worth the money and confirmed my order.
        2 weeks later my shampoo arrived and with rabid peach lust I tore open the box and opened the bottle. Seriously, like sticking your face in a bag of peach-rings! I loved it!  Ok , Spike, time for a bath.
        The peach smell only lasts in the bottle, I'm afraid, but the delicate fragrance of the shampoo is wonderful in and of itself. Much like Nature's Specialties- Plum Silky, the Peachy Perfect does not smell fruity on your pooch, but the actual aroma is still to be adored. The best way I can describe it is that it smells like the old 80's and 90's My Little Pony toys ... I suppose not everyone will understand that reference, but those who do are already clamoring to order their own bottles.  Very delicate, very 'puppy'.  It wasn't what I was looking for, but I'm so very thrilled to have found it anyway.
                                               The Peachy Perfect is a Paraben free, Sulfate free, gentle shampoo safe for puppys and kittens. Some of the ingredients listed are Aloe Vera, Chamomile, Sage, Rosemary, and Nettle. The selling point to me about this shampoo ,though, is how well it rinses. When I groom my poodle at home, I do it in my bathtub and rinse him with a teapot. It gets very frustrating.  Not with Peachy Perfect, it rinsed so cleanly, and so well I actually re-washed Spike after the rinse, this time without diluting the shampoo, to make sure I had used enough. Even without dilution, it rinsed out quickly and easily.
                                               After drying him out , my poodle's coat is bouncy and clean, full of volume and very fresh. I have actually had a couple comments from friends on how he looks exceptionally fluffy after his last bath. 
                                              As I'm writing this it has been about 3 days after the bath. Spike's fur still smells as Pony-rific as the first day. It is a subtle smell, but with your face in his fur it is unmistakable.  I think it would pair well with most colognes, it is not an overpowering fragrance.


                                           Bottom line!
                                           I would buy it again, but only if I were ordering more from Nature's Specialties, or combining the order with a friend. The cost of the shampoo is acceptable for the quality, but the high shipping cost puts it at an unreasonable price for one 16oz bottle.  Not Peachy, but pretty smelling none the less!  Great cleaning power, great rinse, leaves the coat in good condition, and gentle enough to use on a weekly basis.


ps. If you know of a good peachy shampoo, shoot me a line! Still on the hunt, as that air freshener taunts me... maybe i'll just strap it to my dog's head....

oO Bubblecollie Oo